A homeowner's country view is blocked by a new house only 11 inches away

Last updated at 14:14 12 November 2007

A homeowner who lives in a listed building is now feeling decidedly hemmed in after a new home was built so close he can actually touch it when he opens his upstairs window.

Dan Gould is now faced by a blank wall when he looks out of his top floor window after the new property was built just 11 inches away.

The 30-year-old businessman says where once he enjoyed a panoramic view of Exeter in Devon now there is nothing but a close up view of bricks and mortar.

His detached £350,000 three-bedroom property called the Cooperage in Sivell Place, Heavitree, now has a row of five new houses in very close proximity - so close he can not even get access to his own gutter.

Mr Gould, who runs his own security firm, believes as much as £50,000 could have been knocked off the value of his home, once part of a brewery and listed as a locally important building.

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He says the new houses were built even closer than the initial plans suggested.

Now he's considering legal action against Exeter City Council which gave planning permission for the development - despite his and other's objections.

Mr Gould said: "These houses have been built too close to my house but the council is saying it is acceptable.

"It's an absolute disgrace - I can't even get to my gutter."

"Myself and other neighbours objected at the time of the original application. Then when the building was going we met enforcement officers from the council," he said.

"We told them the drawings were not correct and found their measurements were wrong. But they said the building was actually further away from my house than the original drawing."

"I measured it and believe it is closer than the drawing. We took a photo showing it was closer."

"I am at a loss as to how the builder can rectify this at this stage. The building is complete and occupied."

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Mr Gould said he is now considering taking legal action against the council.

Councillor Chris Gale, of Heavitree ward, said he was aware of the situation and was due to meet Mr Gould to discuss the situation this week.

"This application should go back to full planning committee. I would wish that the committee looks at this again," Gale said.

"My reaction is that it is too close - it is not a situation I would enjoy. I have seen it inside and out."

"If I had to look out at that I would be very disappointed. I strongly believe it should go back to full planning. It has gone too far outside the original plan."

An Exeter city council spokesman said: "The development was actually built slightly further away from Mr Gould's property than the original planned development approved by the city council.

"Government advice is clear - that enforcement action should only be undertaken where it is expedient to do so - for example where harm exists."

"In this instance, because the building has actually been built further away from the Cooperage than the approved development there is no harm."

"Clearly we would not pursue enforcement action in this instance."

But Mr Gould was furious. "It should never have been approved in the first place," he said.

"It's just a big blunder. I can't even get to he outside wall between the houses to maintain it."

"And I used to have a lovely view of Exeter from my upstairs window - now all I can see is bricks."